In industrial use, a hydraulic ram or falling weight ('trip hammer') may be used to drive a chisel into the material.
A gouge is a type of chisel that serves to carve small pieces from the material; particularly in woodworking, woodturning and sculpture.
A cold chisel is a tool made of tempered steel used for cutting 'cold' metals,[2] meaning that they are not used in conjunction with heating torches, forges, etc.
Cold chisels are forged to shape and hardened and tempered (to a blue colour) at the cutting edge.
The round nose chisel is used for cutting semi-circular grooves for oil ways in bearings.
Although the vast majority of cold chisels are made of steel, a few are manufactured from beryllium copper, for use in special situations where non-sparking tools are required.
Cold chisels are predominantly used in Repoussé and chasing processes for the fabrication of bronze and aluminium sculptures.
This tool is also often used in combination with a "top fuller" type of hotcut, when the piece being cut is particularly large.
Masonry chisels are typically heavy, with a relatively dull head that wedges and breaks, rather than cuts.
The direction of the taper in the blade determines if the chisel cuts deep or runs shallow along the joint.
A modern gouge is similar to a chisel except its blade edge is not flat, but instead is curved or angled in cross-section.
The modern version is generally hafted inline, the blade and handle typically having the same long axis.
The blade geometry is defined by a semi-standardized numbering system that varies by manufacturer and country of origin.